Islam and Science "Never judge a religion by its people, judge a religion by its scripture" *Note: This page contains some of the scientific discoveries from Shaukat Ameen's book "Islam, A scientifically proven religion".
CHAPTER – I DISCOVERIES IN NATURE & EARTH (i) Creation of the Universe The formation of the universe is described in the Quran in the following verse: "He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth." (6:101) The information given in the Quran is in full agreement with the findings of modern science. The conclusion that astrophysics has reached today is that the entire universe was created as a result of great explosion that occurred in no time. This event, known as "The Big Bang" proved that the entire universe was created from nothingness as a result of the explosion of a single point. Modern scientists agree that the Big Bang is the only rational and plausible explanation of the beginning and how the universe came into being. Before the Big Bang, there was no such thing as matter. So, we come to the conclusion that matter, time, and energy were created and didn't exist since infinite. "Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth: Come both of you, willingly or not. They said: We come, obedient." (The Quran, 41:11) Didn't the Quran say that the Heaven was smoke before its creation? Modern science has every reason to maintain that the universe was formed from a gaseous mass principally composed of hydrogen and a certain amount of helium that was slowly rotating. We, therefore, see no contradiction in the Quranic use of the Arabic word "dukhan" (translated smoke) and a modern interpretation of that word as "a gaseous mass with fine particles" when speaking of the formation of the universe. "Have they not who disbelieve seen that the heavens and earth were joined together (as one piece), then We parted them." (21:30) The Quran describes the phenomenon of the creation of the universe by using two specific words: "rataq" translated as: mixed in each ; blended. "fataqa" is the verb in Arabic and implies that something comes into being by tearing apart or destroying the structure of "rataq". As the earth and the heavens above (the sun, the moon, stars, planets, galaxies, etc.) have been formed from this same 'smoke', we conclude that the earth and the heavens were once a connected entity. Then out of this homogenous 'smoke', they evolved into different forms and separated from each other. Hence, the verse reveals that the heavens and earth at the beginning were joined together, and that subsequently they were separated. Recent advance-ments in astronomy especially the Big Bang theory of the creation of the universe corroborate with this statement in the Quran. The Big Bang theory holds that about 20,000,000,000 (twenty billion) years ago the universe began with an explosive expansion of a single extremely condensed state of matter. This is what the Quran states in this verse: "the heavens and earth were joined together". The Noble prize for Science in 1977 was awarded for this discovery. These facts, only recently discovered by modern science, were disclosed in the Quran 1,400 years ago. ***** (ii) More than one world The very first verse of the first chapter of the Quran is a miracle. It says: "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds." (The Quran, 1:1) At a time when, perhaps, scientific knowledge was not even at the nascent stage, the Quran revealed about the presence of worlds other than the earth and testified to the fact that, "Allah is the Lord of the worlds". As a matter of fact, the words, "the Lord of the worlds", appear in the Quran a total of 73 times. With scientific advancement and use of sophisticated telescopes now we know that there are other planets and multitude of galaxies besides earth. And all this was disclosed to us by the God Almighty through his prophet Mohammad ( P.B.U.H ) 14 centuries ago. ***** (iii) The expansion of the universe According to the Holy Quran: "And it is We who have constructed the heaven with might, and verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it." (51:47) The word "heaven", as stated in this verse, is used in various places with the meaning of space and universe. Here again, the word is used with this meaning. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian physicist Alexander Friedmann and the Belgian cosmologist Georges Lemaitre theoretically calculated that the universe is in constant motion and that it is expanding. From the moment of the Big Bang, the universe has been constantly expanding at a great speed. Scientists compare the expanding universe to the surface of a balloon that is inflated. Observing the sky in 1929 with a telescope also proved this fact. Edwin Hubble, the American astronomer, discovered that the stars and galaxies were constantly moving away from each other. These observations tell us that when everything in the universe moves away from each other, it is considered to be a constantly expanding universe. This fact was revealed in the Quran when no one knew about the expansion of the universe 1,400 years ago. This is because the Quran is the word of Allah, the Creator and the Ruler of the entire universe. ***** (iv) Sky, without any support Due to lack of knowledge, Arab society, 1400 years ago, had many superstitious beliefs regarding the earth and the sky. They thought that the earth was flat and that the mountains were supporting the sky above. They thought that there were high mountains at both the ends of the world, working as pillars and those pillars held the sky hanging above. However, all these superstitious beliefs were eliminated with the advent of the Quran. The Quran says: "God is He who raised up the heavens without any support….." (Surah ar-rad, 2) thereby invalidating the belief that the sky remained suspended above because of the mountains. How did the author of the Quran know about this fact 1400 years ago? Indeed, Quran is the book of Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. ***** (v) Orbits We learn from the Quran that: "By the sky full of paths and orbits." (The Quran, 51:7) The entire universe is full of paths and orbits. The Quran also tells us that: "(Allah is the) One who created the night , and the day, and the sun and the moon, swim along, each in its (own) orbit." (21:33) "It is not permitted to the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outsrip the day, each swims along in its (own) orbit." (36:40) While referring to the Sun and the Moon in the Quran, it is emphasized that each moves in a certain orbit. There are about 200 billion galaxies in the universe, consisting of nearly 200 billion stars in each. All celestial bodies including planets, satellites of these planets, stars and even galaxies swim along their own orbits. It is mentioned in another verse, too, that the Sun is not static but moves in a definite orbit. "The sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed); that is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing." (Yaseen 36:38) According to the calculations of experts on astronomy, the Sun is travelling at an enormous speed of 150 miles per second. It means that the sun travels roughly 12,960,000 miles a day! The fact that this information was present in the Quran long before it was discovered by the mankind is yet another testimony that Allah, the All-Knowing, and the All-Wise is the source of this knowledge. ***** (vi) Different nature of the sun and the moon "Allah is the One who made the sun a shining object and the moon as a light, and measured out (their) stages, that you may know the number of years and the count (of time), Allah did not create this but in truth; He (thus) explains His signs in detail, for those who understand." (The Quran, 10:5) "We have built above you seven strong (heavens) and placed therein a blazing lamp." (78:12-13) "Do you not see how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another; And made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun a lamp." (71:15-16) "Blessed is He who made constellations in the skies and placed therein a lamp (sun) and a moon giving light." (25:61) The Quran uses two different words for the sun and the moon. When it refers to the moon, the word is "NOOR" (light) and when it refers to the sun, the word is "SIRAJ" or "ZIA" (lamp). We also learn from the second verse given above that the sun is the only source of light for our solar system. The Quran also tells us that the moon only reflects the sun's light. These facts are in perfect harmony with discoveries made in astronomy in not very distant past. The Quran had disclosed these facts 14 centuries ago. ***** (vii) The proportion of Rain The Quran, in the following verse, tells us that the rain is sent down to earth in due measure: "It is He who sends down water in due measure from the sky by which He brings a dead land back to life. That is how you too will be raised (from the dead)." (43:11) The modern science has discovered the measured quantity in rain. They have estimated that in one second, approximately 16 million tons of water evaporates from the earth, i.e., 513 trillion tons of water in one year. This number is equal to the amount of rain that falls on the Earth in a year. This means that water constantly circulates in a balanced cycle, in a "measure". The rain keeps falling every year in exactly the same quantity as revealed in the Quran. This is yet another great miracle of the Quran and a "food for thought" for the non-Muslims. ***** (viii) The Mountains Allah says in the Holy Quran: "Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs?" (78:6-7) Geologists tell us that mountains have underlying roots. These roots are deeply embedded in the ground, thus, mountains have a shape like a peg. Geologists have proven that mountains have deep roots under the surface of the ground and that these roots can reach several times their elevations above the surface of the ground. So, the most suitable word to describe mountains on the basis of this information is the word 'peg'. Didn't the Quran use the word 'peg' in the verse above? The history of science tells us that the theory of mountains having deep roots was introduced only in the latter of the 19th century. The modern geology has thus confirmed the truth of the Quranic verse. ***** (ix) The seas not mingling with one another "He has set free the two seas meeting together. There is a barrier between them. They do not transgress." (The Quran, 55:19-20) Modern science has discovered that at places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each has its own temperature, salinity and density. But when the Quran speaks about the divider between the fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of a "forbidding partition" with the barrier. Allah says in the Quran: "He is the one who set free the two kinds of water, One may ask, why did the Quran mention the partition when speaking about the divider between sweet and salt water, but did not mention it when speaking about the divider between the two seas?? Modern science has discovered that in estuaries [where fresh (sweet) and salt water meet] the situation is somewhat different from what is found in places where two seas meet. Scientists have discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a "pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity separating the two layers." This partition (zone of separation) has a different salinity from the fresh water and from the salt water. This information has been discovered only recently, using advanced equipment to measure temperature, salinity, density, oxygen dissolubility, etc. The human eye cannot see the difference between the two seas that meet. Likewise, the human eye cannot see the division of water in estuaries into three kinds: fresh water, salt water, and the partition (zone of separation). The interesting side to this is that during a period when people had no knowledge of physics or oceanography, this fact was revealed in the Quran. ***** (x) The Miracle in the Iron "Indeed We have sent Messengers with clear proofs, and sent down with them the Book and Balance, that mankind may observe justice; And We sent down iron, in which is (material for) mighty power, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, unseen, Him and His Messengers, for Allah is full of strength, exalted in might." (The Quran, 57:25) The Quran tells us that the iron was sent down to earth. Scientists have, only recently, come to discover the relevant facts about the formation of iron. Geologists believe that the entire energy of our solar system is not sufficient to produce even one atom of iron. Moreover, they state that four times as much energy as that of our solar system would be required to make one atom of iron on the surface of the earth. The geologists thus conclude that iron is an extraterrestrial material that was sent down to earth from some other planet. Who besides Allah could have such absolute knowledge which excels and encompasses all levels of human knowledge?? ***** (xi) Presence of sub-atomic particles Recent discoveries in Physics have shown that an atom can be broken into smaller units. According to the Holy Quran: "The unbelievers say: Never to us will come the Hour (the day of Judgment); Say: Nay! By my Lord! It will surely come upon you by Him, who knows the unseen, not an atom's weight, or less than or greater (than atom), escapes Him in the heavens and/or in the earth, but it is in a clear record." (34:3) The Arabic word used in this verse is "Zarrah". Abdullah Yousef Ali, Mohsin Khan, and Marmaduke Pickthal have translated Zarrah as an atom. At the time this verse was revealed, a Zarrah was the smallest known particle to mankind. The Quran testifies to the presence of particles smaller than Zarrah or an atom. The discovery of splitting of an atom into smaller units does not relate to a very distant past while the Quran had acknowledged this fact 1400 years ago. (to be contd Insha allah)
Engr.Sulthan
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